With the long-awaited Starcraft 2 Closed Beta starting this week, whats on all our minds is how we can get into the beta. This article shares some tips on how to raise your chances of being selected through the official beta and even some secrets on…unofficial ways!

UPDATED 3/3/2010

Official Blizzard Invite Method:

#1: First and foremost, you need to create an account at battle.netYou should use legitimate (or at least not obviously fake) account information. The beta is distributed online only so your address does not need to be accurate and Blizzard does not seem to verify phone numbers or other information, but it doesn’t hurt.

#2: Add at least one Blizzard / Battle.net game CD-Key to your account. Through my research on forums and other users I have yet to see anyone get a random invite who didn’t have other games already added to their account.This will legitimize your account (by proving your aren’t just creating dozens of fake accounts to increase your chances of selection).

#3: Be sure to opt in to your willingness to be a beta tester. This option is found right on the main account page in your battle.net account.This is likely turned OFF by default, be sure the checkboxes are clicked

#4: Be sure you have uploaded your system specifications — you will need to download and run a small app from the battle.net website to do this. The option is found in the same section as the beta “opt-in”

#5: It is feasible you could try creating 4 or 5 different accounts and add just one game key to each account. If you try this method, be sure to use different names and addresses. Stick to real names and addresses to be safe.
It is not yet known if having more games in a single account increases the chances of beta selection. It may be the same having 1 game or 5 games, or having 5 games may exponentially increase your odds.

When you are selected, you may receive an email or you may not. Some people have logged into their accounts to find the Beta available, but never received an email. If you are selected to be in the Closed Beta, the game client will be available for download in the “My Games” section of your battle.net account, so be sure to keep checking.

Unofficial Methods:

These are methods used to play a hacked or cracked version of the Starcraft 2 beta. Note that we do not condone utilizing this information, nor can we guarantee its accuracy. We are not responsible for any uses and it is being shared here as editorial news information only.

Torrent sites now have the beta client available for download and install. However, you still need a beta key to be able to play an actual game. There is no single player option available, only multiplayer so Blizzard can balance the game.

The torrent cracked / hacked beta client currently allows you to play replays. Using this you can get a feel for the game, play with video and sound settings on your computer, and learn about the new units and strategy.

The cracked / hacked game client is likely to eventually be hacked to work on private servers so anyone can play multiplayer. This has been the case with past Blizzard beta games, so will likely be the case here too.

UPDATE 3/3/10: The beta has been hacked / cracked fairly successfully. You can now play against a makeshift (but quite well-done) AI Computer in single player. You will need to find a download of the beta and “launcher” using other means, such as a torrent website. Then you will need to download specific maps to play that have the AI built into them.

This article will be continually updated when new information is available!